Things are probably a little different here in Australia. I had an old 20" McCulloch and it was a great saw did everything I wanted and more. But it met with an accident and I had to get a new saw there and then. So I went to the local hardware chain store and the best saw they had was a Poulin rebadged McCulloch so having no other choice I bought it, and that's when my problems began. After two tanks of fuel the saw started to bed or run in and went out of tune but the carby required a special tool to adjust the mixture which they won't sell you so I made one. That overcame the initial problem. I then took the saw up to my brothers place 3,500 Ft up in the mountains and the saw ran lean due to the altitude but I could retune it. I don't know what your fuel is like in America but the blend of fuel over here can change from brand to brand and tank full to tank full and while youc car has a computerised injection system it can adjust to suit these variations but highly tuned motors such as you have on a chain saw can not As a consequence if you are just a handyman user you may not be aware of these sorts of problems with saws and so what is not a problem for a professional user can be a major problem for a not so expert user. I do not know Brian as I was not there, but this may have been the problem you had with the first saw. Now having worked for a company importing and distributing saws and being in the engine design department of the same company as I said this was a nuisance to me but to a less experienced person it is a major problem. Especially if you have to keep taking the saw back to the shop for a quick tune up instead of being able to do it yourself. I also spent 30 years as a volunteer Bush Fire Fighter and as there were always variations in the blend of fuel and we could just about go anywhere from the oceans edge to the mountains so each saw had a screw driver attached to it to adjust the carby mixture for the blend of fuel or altitude. In fact in such circumstances it could be a matter of life or death. Again because we needed reliable saws we always used Sthil. This standardisation also meant parts were interchangeable. But now I have had my McCullock/Poulan saw for a while you start to notice other things like the chain sprocket is wearing out fast. But for me the biggest bug is the fact that on this saw the exhaust comes out towards the top of the muffler and blows forward where it tends to strike the log and blow back in your face. This results in you running out of breath quickly and also at least in my case suffering an angina attack. The result is I will be replacing this saw fairly soon. So my advice to even a home handyman is, when you buy a saw check it out well. Have a look at what the Pro's use and be guided by that. Also for peace of mind be prepared to spend a little bit extra as it will in time pay for itself. Finally remember that in the first few tanks of fuel the saw will run or bed in and the tune may change so if you can not perform a tune up yourself take it to the shop and have them do it for you. The problem could be as simple as that.

Ehh I.M.O both Stihl and Shindaiwa are neck & neck "hybrid-4 is just a fancy name like 4-mix is for Stihl" they both work exactly the same. Ohh yeah and a correction I have Br600 blowers not 500 it just says magnum on the cover I thot they were 500's this whole time.. Since we've been looking at some interesting engines lately that take the road less traveled, a comment by rafe03 on this story about this hybrid engine that needs no oil in the crankcase and no oil pump either, but it operates as a 4 stroke. The fuel mix lubricates the engine like a 2 stroke. The fuel mix is drawn in through the crankcase and, by a very roundabout way, makes its way to the intake port, lubricating everything along the way. There's an animation on the Stihl site. "Cue Link" (http://www.stihl.ca/4mix/english/stihl4mix/mixprinzip.htm) And now you have whats called a 4-mix engine. Which is just basically a hybrid 2-stroke engine posing as a 4-stroke and with the power 2 back it up. Life used to be so simple, 2 stroke, 4 stroke, diesel. Now we have 2 and 4 stroke hybrids, 6 strokes, external combustion engines ..., and turbines and electrics and hybrids.

The 250 is a nice mid size saw. I have that model and am very pleased with it. Unfortunately I do not have nearly as much land as you do so I do not get to use it as often as I would like. It performs quite well for my needs. If you know you won't go any larger than 12" trees, that is a good size. I have heard others say that you should not go larger than an 18" bar on it. The saw just does not have enough power for 20". If you plan on regularly cutting some firewood, you might want to step up the size of the saw. I have not cut much firewood yet so I don't have any insight on that particular issue. Do check out the arboristsite forum. Plenty of information. Your question has been covered many times there. You only have to watch out for them talking you up to a monster saw :). You also should get some safety equipment such as chaps, hearing protection and helmet if you do not already have them. You will also need to buy chain oil. I like the Stihl oil as do many others (~$6/gallon). I highly recommend you buy a file and guide to sharpen your chain. You will know very quickly when your chain needs to be sharpened. With a little practice you can do it in a couple minutes. The SRM210 should be able to handle all your trimming needs. It sounds like you can make the FS90 a dedicated brushcutter. Have you considered a wheeled brushcutter like DR (I forget the other makes)? I am not sure how much they cost but they might make the job go quicker. Just a thought. Some on this forum wrote of a brush blade called a beaver blade. It looked like a blade that had a saw chain mounted to it. I have not purchased one but the idea looks good. It might make quicker work of your brush. Since you are planning on purchasing both a brushcutter and chainsaw. I can recommend the helmet system with integrated hearing protection and mesh face shield. It is comfortable enough that I wear it when I am running my trimmer. The mesh face shield really keeps everything out of your eyes. I purchased mine at www.baileys-online.com. They are a a real nice company to deal with. Very knowledgeable and they go out of their way to help you out. They deal with alot of pro arborists but highly appreciate the homeowner business. Whichever route you go with your equipment purchase, good dealer support should be high on your list of requirements. It sounds like from what you have written that the equipment will meet your needs. For trimmers and brushcutters, many also like Tanaka, Shindaiwa and Echo. Any reason not to get another Echo? For saws in the size range you are looking at, most recommendations go to Stihl, Husky and Dolmar. Good luck with your landscaping. It sounds like a nice little project. Take some pictures. You'll be amazed in a few years looking back on them and seeing the progress. Let us know what you end up with.

I bought my Stihl at a dealership. The salesman pointed out these units are not "throw aways," so I spent more than $300 rather than less than $100. ("Throw aways" are small, light wackers that cost more to repair than they are worth, so if they break you "throw them away.") I think I made the right decision buy I�m not sure. My old wacker was electric powered and dragging the cord was a pain. Gas power is more convenient. I have owned my unit for over a year and run it a dozen times. It doesn�t get mistreated or overused at our vacation home. I like its power and brand name backing. It is reliable and sturdy. But there are some irritating faults. Starting is always a problem. It never starts after priming on less than ten pulls. I always have to switch the switch from "cold" to "hot." Then it catches. I think this can and should be improved. My Craftsman power mower ALWAYS starts on the first pull every time. Why can�t the wacker do this? My biggest gripe is the full cap. That�s because it�s a pure safety issue and very dangerous. Sealing the cap is clunky, difficult and a very poor design. If you do not fit the cap precisely and exactly, it will not seal. I have limited storage so I used to gently stand the unit on the motor, upright. The last time I put it away I smelled gasoline. Checking around the unit I discovered the gas cap had been unseated and leaked gasoline on the floor. Yes, it was my fault I hadn�t exactly seated the cap and yes, I should have checked it more carefully. But Stihl should design a better cap that fits as tightly and is easier to seal. Another major problem is the throttle. It�s hand controlled under the stem. Perhaps there�s no other way. Still, it�s a hair trigger, meaning there is no good way to manage RPM or power; it�s either running too fast or not fast enough. At first I thought I would get better with experience and be more efficient. Can�t be done. Bad design. One gets used to the weight over time. I bought a sling to carry the unit and carefully balanced the unit so it sits comfortably. This is essential because the unit isn�t very light. Another hassle is restringing the whip. I asked the dealer for a demo and he told me to go on to Stihl�s website for a tutorial. Directions are NOT in the manual. Why is this so impractical? Mixing gas and oil is not troublesome or expensive. The salesman said the 50 to 1 gas to oil dilution would not hurt my mower, so it in both engines.